Austerity Britain hits Father's Day as dads see £4 less spent on them than last year

He may be the most important man in your life, but British fathers are actually being shortchanged when it comes to gifts this year.

According to the latest survey, children are spending on average £4 less on Father’s Day gifts than they were last year.

In 2012, the average spend for gifts was £16 and this has now dropped to a measly £12.

Thrifty: In 2012, the average spend on Father's Day was £16, which has dropped to a measly £12

However, whilst dads are still getting a rough deal, high-street giant Debenhams has seen a 7 per cent increase in people buying Father’s Day gifts compared to last year but they are just being more thrifty.

And dads won't be happy to hear that mothers are still coming out on top; with the average spend for a Mother’s Day gift this year coming in at a generous £21.

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It seems sons are the biggest culprit for not showing appreciation for their dads, the survey revealed that men were much more likely to buy a Mother’s Day present than they were to buy a Father’s Day present, with 27 per cent saying they bought a father’s day present versus 53 per cent for a Mother’s Day gift. 

Hey big spender: People in the North of England are three times more likely to buy a gift, with the biggest spenders from Hull

Women seem to be fairer when treating their parents, with 56 per cent buying Father’s Day gifts and 61 per cent splurging on a Mother’s Day present.

Debenhams has also seen geographical trends in Father’s Day gift spending.

People in the North of England are three times more likely to buy a Father’s Day gift than the south, and the average gift spend is much higher at £19.

Hull has come out on top as having the biggest spenders.

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Disa Blackburn, Head of Gift Buying at Debenhams, said: 'It seems poor dads are getting a raw deal when it comes to Father’s Day gifts and the gap in spending is only get bigger.

'After years of dad duties, such as being a living, breathing cash point and a 24 hour taxi service it’s time we make an effort at making our fathers feel special.

'Dads are notoriously hard to buy for and our research shows that this is often the reason why they are forgotten – mum’s on the other hand have a much more diverse range of gift options.'

But if Pizza Hut's latest research is anything to go by, dads don't even want a gift this year.

They say 86 per cent of dads would prefer a meal out over a present (no surprise there then – is it pizza they fancy, perhaps?).

The restaurant chain found that dads in South West England are the most eager for quality time with the family – a whopping 95 per cent of dads chose a family meal out over a gift

While dads of the East Midlands seem to be the least inclined to give up presents - nearly one in four dads opted for a gift, they found.

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